Skip to main content

Jai Jawan, Jai Kishan

While speaking about the ideal path for the saffron party, Dr S. Swamy casually mentioned the unspoken truth. The 2019 elections could be won just on the lines of communal conservatism, striking an image of glorified India and the role of Hindus in it. But, putting his political acumen into context, he added that 2024 candidates, however, will have to account for the promised economy, governance and development. And so did the cards unfold; the BJP manifesto, which fueled the long-standing demands of and unified Hindu Rastra, seemed to land the party in a landslide majority.

But, as incumbency keeps knocking on the door, leaders must find new successes to celebrate. And here we come to another famous slogan "Jai jawan, Jai Kisan". Military mavericks and agriculture agendas have the potential to persuade public opinion in favour of the party when put rightly. Therefore reforms must be more appealing than revolutionising. That brings into the picture primarily non-liberalised agriculture, which employs massive numbers. The fear of losing out to corporates and conglomerates regarding market grab. So let's look at the conditions that make the privatisation of agriculture such a scary picture in India.

In the heart of the fear lies the spiritual attachment to the land. The piousness with which land is treated in India makes it a pivotal gear in the cultural machine. It's a land that reveres its soil with rituals and festivals arising from an agrarian culture. To make way for privatisation is to allow competition with the top guns and a subsequent loss of traditional landholding. To sum up, I believe the Indian farmers are unwilling to leave behind their lands and adopt a more 'worker in a factory' attire.

The second reason, which has disgusted everyone alike, is the bureaucracy. Known for its apparent sluggishness and ineffectiveness, the new bill threatens to put farmers in lines they no longer want to be (after a scary demonetisation experience). Also, we have built a perception of the gruesome turmoil farmers have to undergo if they, unfortunately, are on the wrong side of the law. Although every government has promised to smoothen the process, it's all old wine in new bottles. And do remember, what we are asking for here, is a change in the mindset, which is second in the hardness scale to 'change of culture'.

Finally, we have had some of the worst years in the centuries, none less than those of the great wars. And there has to be a backlash of the casualty and depression on the incumbent leaders. This brings us back to scapegoat politics. With its opposition already made diminutive and military exploits overstretched,  the saffron party is losing scalps to sacrifice. It's a short time before people seek an assessment report, and challenging questions follow.

Popular posts from this blog

Changing face of Entertainment

The entertainment industry in India is waiting for yet another disruptive innovation, with millions of young users equipped with gigabytes of data every day, there is a new untapped customer base. Not particularly untapped since it makes do with pirated movies and free web series. But, there is an apparent lack of entertainment streamed towards them. Also, the shift from television sets to mobile devices, sets the stage clear for a change in content. the spikes in porn consumption and adult web series do speak of this unattended guest. The popularity of two platforms, mostly youtube and TikTok, have also helped in developing a new class of actors. To name a few Sumeet Vyas, Jitendra, Bhuvan Bam and much more. It has become apparent that the arduous task of going from one to another production house seeking a side role in a daily soap or movie, is on a decline. Not that, people won't get their debut at soaps and movies, but it seems easier to get a web series and keep working tha...
dive in...

Religiously Yours: The Role of Preachers and the Search for Truth

Most people search for hope, for belonging, for purpose. Religion can offer all of that, but if it ever sidelines your freedom to choose, to think, to wonder—something precious is lost. So, what’s the answer? Not confrontation, but honest, unguarded questions. Questions that aren’t meant to provoke or undermine, but to genuinely understand and maybe even reshape how we see the world, each other, and ourselves. See, preachers—like everyone else—filter their teachings through layers of personal experience. Some are gentle guides, others take a hard line, but most fall somewhere in the middle. That’s not surprising. We all lean on what we know: our stories, our histories, our mistakes. It’s just that, for religious teachers, this bias carries extra weight. Sometimes their perspective anchors a community, offering stability and belonging. Other times, accumulated bias can make a religion feel rigid or exclusionary—raising walls instead of building bridges. There’s an intricate relationshi...
dive in...

Into the fuzziness

One way to put a banner on the course of human civilization is to call it an escape from uncertainty ( most of which would have led us to death). Why do we live in societies? To save ourselves from the uncertainty of getting attacked... Why do we build houses? To mitigate the uncertainty of getting our food washed away in the rain... Why do we rear children? So that we don't fast ourselves to death in old age. So in all these cases, the sheer uncertainty in the future has made us make expensive investments in the present. And those who didn't give in to these fears took a risk.  The pay-off of that risk is, however, independent of the past. In some cases, the risk turned out to be a golden gamble. Just like a flood washing away houses of people...the ones who hadn't built their houses were a little less sad. Risk can give an unexpected reward, but the higher the risk, the greater the return.  But at times, the risk is otherwise. Instead of choice for the individual, it beco...
dive in...